Rod-straightening machine



May 14, 1929. w, w LECK 1,713,138

ROD STRAIGHTENING MACHINE Filed Aug. 6, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l BYWMI..

May 14, 1929. w. w. LECK 1,713,138

ROD STRAIGHTENING MACHINE Filed Aug. 6, 1927- 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 i l k//YV/Y mu? M 144 LEC/f BYWW May'14; 1929.

w. w. LECK 1,713,138

ROD STRAIGHTEN ING MACHINE Filed Aug. 6, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ArraR/YnPatented May 14, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.I'J

WALTER w. LECK, or srl LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO SCULLIN s'rnnnCOMPANY,

, or ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE,

Ron-sTnA s ITEnINe MACHINE.

Application filed August 6, 1927. Serial No. 211,140.

This invention relates to machines of the kind that are used forstraightening round rods, and particularly, to machines of the type thatare equipped with rolls between which the rod is passed to effect thestraightening of the rod.

The main object of the invention is to provide a practicable machine ofsimple design for straightening sucker rods, bars, tie rods and membersof similar form composed of a long shank of circular shape in crosssection, provided at one or both ends with a head or enlarged portion.

Another object is to'provide a machine of-the kind referred to that isequipped with a novel means for quicl'zly opening and clos ing therollsso as to permit the heads or enlarged portions of the rods to passbetween the rolls,,and for insuring the opposed rolls exerting therequired pressure on a rod dur ing the straighteningoperation. V

Figure 1 of the drawings is a top plan view, partly in horizontalsection, of a straIghtening machine constructed in accordance with myinvention. I

Figure 2'is a vertical transversesectional view of said machine.

Figure 3 is a side elevational View of said machine; and

Figure 4 is a detail view of the sh ftable abutment member that formspart of the mechanism for holding the movable roll carrier rigid duringthe straightening operation. 1

Referring to the drawings which illustrate V the preferred form of myinvention, A andB designate a straight roll and aco'ncaved roll,respectively, arranged in opposed relation, as shown in F igurell, anddisposed at opposite angles as is the usual practice in machines of "theroll type, such as are used for rolling round rods or bars to make themstraight, said rolls being connected to shafts A" and B which are joinedby universal joints C with a driving mechanism of any preferred type,herein illustrated as consisting of a gearing D. The rod, bar. or othermember that is to be straightened is inserted endwise into the spacebetween the straight roll A and concaved roll 13 and the rotary movementof the rolls causes said rod to be fed longitudinally between the rollsand subjected to such action as to remove slight kinks, bends orirregularities in the rod. 1

In conventional machines of this general type the carriers that supportthe shaftsof the rolls are not capable'of being moved quickly relativelyto each other, to openand v close the rolls, and accordingly, suchmachines are-not adapted for use in rolling sucker rods and othermembers that are provided with heads or enlarged portions of greaterdiameter than the space between the rolls when the rolls are closed. Inmy improved machine the shaft of one roll, preferably the straight rollA, is mounted in a carrier E that can be moved quickly towards and awayfrom the carrier inwhichthe shaft B of the roll B is mounted, therebyenabling the'rolls to be separated 'sufliciently to permit straighteningoperation, but I prefer to use a piston actuated by an expansible mediumor hydraulic 'medium to shift or bodily move the carrier E and use ashiftableabutment member and a thrust bearing that co-operate with apart on said piston to hold the cari rier rigid during the straighteningoperation.

In the machine herein shown the carrier E is slidingly mounted on twohorizontally-disposed rods F that-extend transversely of the machine,and an air cylinder G is arranged at the right hand end of the carrier,as shown in Figures 1 and 2,.the piston .1 of said aircylinder beingprovided with a rod 2 that is connected at its outer end to the carrierby akey- 3 that extends-through a hole in the piston rod 2 and a hole ina portion of the carrier E into which the piston rodeXtends. Air underpressureis admitted to and exhausted from one end of the cylinder Gthrough a pipe 4:,and at the opposite end of said cylinder is a separatepipe 5 through which air under pressure is admitted to and exhaustedfrom the cylinder. A

At the outer end of the cylinder G is an adjustable thrust bearing Hthat is adapted to co-opcrate with a shiftable abutment mem her I tohold the piston 1 rigid during the straightening operation, said thrusthearing ed element that passes through an internally threaded, rotatablenut '7 carried by the frame J oi the machine, and the abutment member 1consists of a block carried by a lever 8 that is rock-ably mounted on asupport 9 arranged at one side of the thrust bearing H parallel to thesame, as shown. in Figure 1. Any suitable means can be used to move thethrust bearingll towards and away from the extension 6 on the piston,such, for example, as a pinion 10 rigidly fastened to the nut 7 andarranged in mesh 'with a pinion 11 that 1s connected with a hand wheel12. The lever 8 is mounted on its support 9 in such a way that it iscapable or moving longitudinally of the same, when the thrust bearing His moved inwardly, and a spring 13 is combined with said lever so as toexert pressure on same in a direction tending to move-it longitudinallyof the support 9 to the right, looking at Figure 1.

lVhen the rolls A and open or separated, the abutment member I occupiesthe position shown in broken lines in Figure 41, and rests upon theextension 6 on the piston 1. At such. times the inner end of the thrustbearing H is positioned to the right of the abutment member I, and thepiston 1 is positioned at the right hand end or outer end of thecylinder G. After the head or enlarged portion on one end of the suckerrod has been passed. between the rolls, compressed air is admitted tothe cylinder Gr through the supply pipe 5, thereby causing the piston 1to move the carrier E quickly to the left, s as to close the rolls orcause them to exert pressure on the sucker rod. As soon as the extensionon the piston 1 clears the abutment member I, said member swingsdownwardly into longitudinal alignment with said extension, as shown infull lines in Figure 4, and thereafter the operator in charge ot themachine turns the hand wheel 12 in a direction to cause the thrustbearing .H to exert pressure on the alnitment member 1 in a direction toforce it tightly against the extension 6 on the piston, and thus holdthe carrier lil perfectly rigid during the straightening operation.lVhen the rolls A and B start to revolve, they feed the sucker rodforwardly and sin'iultaneouslystraighten said rod, and if there is ahead or enlarged portion at the other end of the sucker rod, the rollsare separated or opened just before said head or enlarged portionreaches the rolls. The separation of the rolls is effected by turningthe hand wheel 12 in the reverse direction, so

13 of the machine are as to relieve the pressure of the thrust hearing Hon the abutment member I, then pressing the lever 8 downwardly, so as tomove the abutment member 1 out of alignment with the extension 6 on thepiston, and thereafter admitting compressed air to the left hand end ofthe cylinder G through the pipe l, so as to move the roll carrier Equickly to the right, looking at Figure 1, the lover 8 being released soas to permit the abutment member to swing downwardly and come to rest onthe extension 6 on the piston 1.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my machine is highly practicablefor use in straightening sucker rods and other members provided withenlarged end portions, due to the fact thatan expansible medium, such ascompressed air, is used to separate the rolls to permit the enlarged endportions of the rods to pass the rolls, and is also used to close therolls or arrange them in the position they occupy during thestraightening-operation. Notwithstanding the fact that an expansiblemedium is used to move the roll carrier E, towards and away from thecarrier on which the roll B is mounted, the two roll carriers of themachine are held perfectly rigid and are prevented from separatingduring the straightening ope 'ation, by the abutment member I and thethrust bearingH which form a solid backing for the piston 1 of the aircylinder.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine for straightening rods, bars and similar members providedat one or both ends with an enlarged end portion, comprising opposedrolls that exert pressure on the rod during the straightening operation,a

piston adapted to be actuated by an operating medium for separating therolls to permit the enlarged portion of the rod to pass the rolls andfor closing the rolls to cause them to engage the rod, and anindependent means for maintaining the rolls in operative relationshipwith each other during the rolling operation.

2. A machine for straightening rods, bars and similar members providedat one or both ends with an enlarged end portion, comprising opposedrolls that exert pressure on the rod during the straightening operation,a piston adapted to be actuated by an operating medium for separatingthe rolls to permit the enlarged portion of the rod to pass the rollsand for closing the rolls to cause them to engage the rod, and a meansfor holding said piston rigid during the straightening opera tioncomprising a shiftable abutment member arranged so that it can be movedquickly into a position to permit the piston to move in a directiontoseparate the rolls.

3. A machine for straightening rods, bars and similar members providedat one or both ends with an enlarged end portion, comprismg opposedrolls that exert pressure on the rod during the straightening operation,a piston adapted to be actuated by an operating medium for separatingthe rolls to permit the enlarged portion of the rod to pass the rollsand for closing the rolls to cause them to engage the rod, a shiftableabutment member that is adapted to be moved into operative relationshipwith the piston after the rolls have been closed and moved into aninoperative position with relation to the piston when it is desired toopen the rolls, and an adjustable thrust bearing that co-operates withsaid abutment member to form a rigid backing for said piston during thestraightening operation.

.4. A machine for straightening rods, bars and similar members providedat one or both ends with an enlarged end portion, comprising opposedrolls that exert pressure on the rod during the straightening operation,a movable carrier for one of said rolls, an operating cylinder providedwith a piston that is connected with said carrier, an extension on saidpiston, and an adjustable thrust bearing for said extension that isadapted to be manipulated by the operator in charge of the machine afterthe rolls have been closed, so as to hold the roll carrier rigid duringthe straightening operation,

5. A machine for straightening rods, bars and similar members providedat one or both ends with an enlarged end portion, comprising opposedrolls that exert pressure on the of operative position between saidextension and said thrust bearing.

6. A machine for straightening rods, bars and similar members providedat one or both ends with an enlarged portion, comprising opposed,angularly disposed rolls that exert pressure on the rod during thestraightening operation, a movable carrier for one of said rods, anoperating cylinder, provided with a, piston that 1s connected with saidcarrier, an

extension on said piston, a thrust bearing arranged in longitudinalalignment With said extension, means for adjusting said bearing, and anabutment member arranged so that it will shift into operative positionbetween said extension and said thrust bearing when the piston moves ina direction to close the rolls. WALTER W. LECK.

